Thinking in images: Mahmood paints a life’s experiences on canvas

The artist’s 38 paintings are on display at Ejaz Art Gallery

LAHORE: The Ejaz Art Gallery bustled with art lovers on Friday at the opening of an exhibition featuring Dr Khalid Mahmood’s recent work.

Yousuf Salahuddin inaugurated the show displaying 38 oil-on-canvas paintings by Mahmood.

Curator Mariam Hanif said, “His work is vibrant. You do not come across such work very often.” “His work is very lively and youthful considering his age.”

She said the artist had been working on the exhibition for two years. “I was told that he had painted many other pieces over the time. Owing to limited space, not all of his work could be displayed,” she said. She said she found his work “semi abstract with a hint of expressionism”.

“The work on display is related to my own story. The images are my biography,” said Mehmood. “The canvas is where I paint the ups and downs of my life. An artist keeps with him a blueprint of changes that one goes through his life and paints them,” he said.

Mehmood said the images on display were not spot paintings. “They depict my thoughts. Sometimes when I see the blank canvas, I don’t know what the subject of my painting will be. The moment I put a stroke of colour, it starts developing a link with my inner vision,” Mahmood said.

“Sometimes, I go into a trance. That is where my work comes from. When people see my work, they might think that I have painted the images consciously, but the truth is otherwise. Nor is this a product of my subconscious,” he said.

Mahmood said no politics or morality informed his work. “It is something that has happened in my life,” he said. “If someone closely observes the colours that I have used, they will notice that each stroke echoes a pain,” Mehmood said.

He said that in some images one might find the repetition of certain motifs. “These are personal symbols… a psychologist might be able to explain this… even I don’t know about these. This is like an ECG representing my condition and emotions,” he said.

“I found his new work quite different than the earlier stuff,” said artist Saeed Akhtar. “He had not used so many colours before. May be he was scared of using too many, but now he has learned to play with them,” he said.

“He has worked so freely that I am surprised at the change. It shows simplification. With the addition of colours, he has brought out the composition more beautifully,” he said.

The exhibition will continue until December 24.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20^th, 2015.